Cook pasta according to directions. Rinse well and drain. Mix dressing and pour over pasta in a large bowl. Marinate in the refrigerator for 5-8 hours (this is important), stirring often. Just before serving, stir in everything else.

In a medium saucepan saute the onion and green pepper in a small amount of oil until tender. Stir in 1/2 cup juice from pineapple, bouillon, water, vinegar and brown sugar. In a small bowl combine soy sauce and cornstarch; mix well. Add to vegetable mixture. Simmer until mixture thickens; stir constantly. Add pineapple and meatballs. Serve over rice.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients; blend well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place meatballs on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes. Drain on paper towels; cool. Select desired number of meatballs per serving and place in freezer container; label. Store in freezer. Use within 3 months.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour, potato flakes, sugar, yeast, salt and ginger. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water, butter and pineapple juice to 120 degrees F-130 degrees F. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/4 hours.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into thirds. Shape each into a ball. Place in three greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Directions

* Coat a large pot with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the onion and the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft but not brown, 5-6 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the garlic!)* Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes.* Carefully spoon the mixture into a blender or food processor and add the vegetable purees, milk, and salt; puree until smooth. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

1. Heat the oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, combine the barbecue sauce, milk, molasses, cocoa, and chili powder. Set the pan over medium heat and whisk the mixture until it is lukewarm and the cocoa is completely dissolved. Set it aside to cool.

2. Sauté the onions in the tablespoon of canola oil until they are transparent, about 7 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the salt, celery salt, pepper, and bread crumbs. Then add the beef, egg, sauce mixture, and onion. Thoroughly mix the ingredients using your hands or a wooden spoon.

4. Remove the pie shell from the freezer. (We placed ours in a Pyrex dish to help ensure that the pie would bake evenly.) Transfer the meat to the shell, spreading it evenly with a spoon. Bake it until the meat is cooked through, about 60 minutes.

5. While the pie is baking, prepare the mashed potato topping. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to completely submerge them. Salt the water lightly, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook the potatoes at a low boil until they are tender, about 12 minutes.

6. While the potatoes cook, puree the beets and 1/4 cup warm milk in a blender until only small bits of beet are left in the mixture. Set aside.

7. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and pureed beets and, using an electric mixer, whip the mixture until it's smooth and fluffy. Add more milk if needed and salt to taste.

8. Spread the whipped potatoes over the top of the cooked meat pie with a spatula, as you would whipped cream, mounding it slightly in the center. Slice and serve the pie while the potatoes are still hot. Makes 8 servings.

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken broth, water, and ginger slices. Cover and bring the broth to a gentle simmer, then turn off the heat. Cut the bok choy into small pieces and set it aside.

2. Combine the pork, scallions, ginger, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and cornstarch and mix well with a rubber spatula.

3. Remove the wonton wrappers from their package and cover them with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. Assemble the wontons (see below), place them on a large plate or a baking sheet lined with waxed paper, and cover them loosely with plastic wrap..Assembling the Wontons:1. Place a wrapper flour side up on your work surface. Using a spoon and a chopstick, drop a scant teaspoon of the meat mixture onto the wrapper.2. Moisten all the edges of the wrapper with a wet fingertip, then fold it over so the edges meet. Pinch the edges to seal them.3. Using your finger or a chopstick, make an indentation in the middle of the filled wonton.4. Dab a drop of water on the two corners and fold them in so they overlap above the indentation. Pinch them together to secure them in place.

4. Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Use a slotted spoon to add the wontons a few at a time, keeping the broth at a low boil. Cook the wontons until they are no longer pink inside (remove one and cut it open to check), at least 7 minutes. Turn the heat back to high, add the bok choy, cover, and cook it for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add pepper to taste.

5. Transfer 5 or 6 wontons to each soup bowl and ladle on the hot broth. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together the honey, Dijon mustard, melted butter and pepper. Place chicken in the greased baking dish, and pour the honey mustard sauce over it. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, basting frequently with the sauce, until chicken is firm and juices run clear

In a pie pan or other shallow, large dish, pour out the corn flakes. Crush the cereal up with your hands. Mix in bread crumbs, sugar, salt, pepper, and allspice.

Drizzle about 3 tablespoons vegetable oil evenly over the breading, tossing and turning it to mix the oil all through the bread crumbs and crushed-up corn flakes.

Cut the chicken fingers into toes, 2-inch pieces. Turn the chicken in flour, eggs and then in the special crunchy breading. Arrange the chicken toes on a nonstick baking sheet. Place the chicken toes in the oven and cook 15 minutes or until crisp and brown all over.

Mix together honey mustard and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Serve hot chicken toes with honey mustard and barbecue sauce for dipping.